To Be A Master
by AcePotterBlaziken63
Summary: Ash Ketchum starts his journey today! After waiting all summer since his 15th birthday, Ash will finally be able to choose his starter. The only problem? He doesn't know which one he wants! Join Ash as he goes through his journey, meeting new and familiar faces, and discovering what it means to be a Pokemon Master!
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome one and all! For around a year and a half now I've had this chapter typed up. I've edited, rewritten, and reworked this quite a lot, mostly because I don't know where I want to go with it. All I know is that since I first began reading fanfiction seven years ago, this idea is the one that has always persisted in my mind. A rewrite of Ash's journey through my eyes and mind. I know it's not original, but this is a project I had tried to start and continue back when I was in high school. Had I kept up with this eons ago, I would've gone a similar route to FanaticLAguy06's The Road to Be a Pokemon Master series. The way he blends the games, anime, and manga is so great and although I don't show it, I've been a fan of his works since the very beginning. I just caught his latest update to the Hoenn arc, and I love it. Do read it if you can.**

**For now, I can't promise when an update will come. I do have the second chapter ready to publish and it will go up later. Mostly, this is just for me. This is to post something I made and hopefully either lay this to rest or give me the spark I need to continue. So please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any other worldly reference made in this work. This is merely for leisure and as a hobby.**

**Chapter 1: I Choose You!**

******(*)******

Ash Ketchum sighed as he looked up at his ceiling. He was supposed to go to sleep three hours ago, but just couldn't. Not only had he watched one of the greatest matches ever between Bruno and a challenger to the Elite Four, but tomorrow was a special day. Ash had turned fifteen three months ago in May but since the Pokemon League tournaments were held every summer, Ash thought better to wait. After passing the certification exam, he could now start his pokemon journey.

Now Ash was very much excited, this was all he had dreamed about for most of his life, but for some unknown reason Ash just couldn't calm down enough to fall asleep. He wasn't nervous per say, more anxious than anything. Even then though, he felt more restless than a vigoroth which was bad because he needed to be well rested for tomorrow. It wouldn't do well to start his journey sleep deprived after all. Moments passed once more before Ash sighed again and got up. There was no point fighting it, so instead Ash put some shoes on and headed downstairs. A little stargazing in the backyard wouldn't be bad. It would definitely help him clear his head.

As he laid in the grass, tracing the constellations of Tauros and Kingler, his thoughts once more drifted to the next morning, where he would be selecting his starter pokemon. It was a tough choice, as all three pokemon had their merit, and each one had a case for best starter. Those in the training biz say Charmander is the way to go, but Squirtle holds more of an advantage according to analysis. Even then, Bulbasaur is usually calm and easy going, making it the best beginning pokemon. One would think that by now Ash would know what pokemon he would choose, but it just wasn't that simple.

Beyond choosing a starter, there was everything else he had to think about. There was a little under a year until the next Indigo League Tournament. That left plenty of time to collect the eight badges needed to participate, if Ash proved competent enough.

Studying never really was Ash's strong point, so while he did know basics and common knowledge a more in-depth analysis was a much difficult concept for Ash. For him experience was the greatest teacher. Sometimes though Ash would take things too far. Letting a growlithe test out its moves on you was certainly one way of learning its move-set, but there are more efficient, easier, and safer methods of doing so.

The professor had led him in the right direction, but Ash still preferred the firsthand experience of interacting with the pokemon. It just wasn't in his nature to do it any other way. Speaking of natures, it had taken Ash ages to get those all down. Even then he would still forget one or two. Though not as major an aspect as some people make them out to be, natures do help beginners train pokemon. If a pokemon is mild, it's a lot easier to train than an adamant one, but an adamant charmander or say if he somehow got lucky, dratini, would be great battlers once fully evolved. But again, natures weren't everything. Ash knew that, because he would interact with as many pokemon as possible whenever he could, and just because a pokemon was timid in nature did not mean it did couldn't pack a wallop on the physical side. The best trainers could train their pokemon to be powerful in every aspect imaginable.

Ash couldn't wait. The more he thought about it, the more he calmed down as he closed his eyes. No matter the outcome, no matter which pokemon he ended up choosing tomorrow, Ash knew that he would work with it to become the very best, like no one ever was. True Pokemon Masters.

******(*)******

"Ash. Ash. ASH! Wake up or you're gonna be late!" Ash heard.

He woke up startled and looked around. It seems he had fallen asleep in the backyard, and his mom Delia thankfully woke him up.

Getting up slowly, and still tired seeing as he didn't get as much sleep as wanted, Ash made his way inside. Delia watched him carefully, worried since she had found him outside instead of in his bed. Normally Ash was old enough to take care of himself, but she didn't want to risk it when she saw that he had slept outside. Half an hour later Ash came down, more awake and alert than he had been, and Delia sighed in relief, having believed he had gone back to sleep.

"Good morning dear. How was your night? Seems to me like you couldn't sleep," Delia commented, knowing her son all too well. Ash grinned mareepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, I tried really hard, but it took me a while to fall asleep. Thanks for waking me up by the way, didn't want to be late," Ash said, as he sat down to eat breakfast. Delia smiled at him, though she still worried by his lack of sleep, she understood that today was a big day, and for anyone it would be difficult to sleep. Setting down all the food, she sat across from Ash and the two began to eat. Well Delia ate, Ash seemed to suck as much food as he could into his mouth. She may love her son, but his eating habits were not to her liking.

"Slow down before you choke, honey; you still have a bit before you have to be at Professor Oak's lab. Nine o'clock right?" she asked as Ash swallowed the food in his mouth. He smiled brightly, knowing that he needed to work on his table manners. He confirmed her assumption though, and the duo continued their breakfast. Small talk here and there as Delia made sure Ash was prepared to leave. While a bit annoyed, Ash understood that she only questioned him so much because she loved him. When it got to the subject of his you-know-whats though, Ash decided to draw the line a little.

"Yes mom, please don't ask that question again. Anyway, I have to go, it's almost time," Ash said as he got up and put away his plate. His mom sighed, getting up as well before quickly embracing him. Ash smiled sadly, holding her back, He knew this had to be tough on her.

"I'll be safe, I promise. Besides, I'm stopping by after I get my pokemon," Ash told her, pulling away and looking her right in the face. Delia nodded, but even so it was difficult to know that in just a few hours, her baby boy would be on his way. Saying goodbye again, Ash made his way out and in the direction of the lab.

Coming upon the entrance gate, Ash pushed his way through a large crowd, rolling his eyes as he hears the chants for Gary. He runs up the hill and makes it to the front entrance, as the other three trainers all watch him.

"Late as always huh Ashy Boy? Got to do better than that if you hope to keep up with me," Gary exclaimed arrogantly.

"You know I'll do loads better than you Gare-Bear," Ash yelled, causing Gary to frown. The two definitely knew how to get under each other's skin. Before he could retort though, the girl next to him spoke up. She wore a pink knee-length skirt with a green tee and a white hat with the pokeball insignia.

"Can both of you cool it? Not even lunch time and you two are already at each other's throats," she said sternly, causing both boys to frown but back off. Gary being the pettier of the two, shoved Ash and walked over to the fourth person. He sulked at being scolded like a child and started muttering under his breath. Like before, Leaf stepped in before Ash could continue the fight and calmed him down.

"Thanks Leaf, I needed your dose of reality," Ash said, still peeved at Gary for his attitude. While once upon a time Ash and Gary were great friends, but as they grew so did their rivalry. Gary though, being the grandson of the professor and being that his dad is Champion of the Kanto Champion League, grew an ego problem bigger than a durant infestation. Leaf merely smiled kindly before striking casual conversation.

"So have you finally decided which pokemon you're going to choose?" she asked as she rocked on her feet and looked at Ash intently. Ash stayed silent at first, deciding the best way to approach the question.

"Hello? Earth to Ash? You in there, buddy?" Leaf joked, making Ash smile and herself smirk in satisfaction. Ash decided to go for broke since there was only one way to approach this. His answer was simple. "No."

"No what? That you aren't in there? I think that's been established," Leaf commented, continuing to tease Ash as he playfully shoved her before turning serious once more.

"I mean no, I don't know which starter I'm choosing. I won't know until the moment comes for me to choose," Ash said, leaving Leaf quite shocked. The duo stood in silence, listening to Gary boast to the other poor soul about him winning next year's league and leaving everyone behind. Eventually, the door opened, and Professor Oak stepped out, smiling to everyone.

"Ah! Welcome, you four are here to choose your starter pokemon right?" the Professor asked, slightly surprised that all of them were here on time.

"Of course, Gramps! Can we cut the semantics? I want my pokemon," Gary replied, much to the man's annoyance. After reprimanding him for his impatience and rudeness, the professor let everyone in.

"Now then, I assume everyone is ready to go, so I will briefly go through certain items that I think need to be readdressed," Oak said. And he did, as he touched upon a few basic rules and tips that everyone needed to hear. The pokedex serves as one's ID, as well as many other functions that would be of great use throughout one's journey. Many laws severely punish the poor care and mistreatment of pokemon. And finally came the big news that the professor needed to reveal.

"Now then, each of you will get your very own starter pokemon, but as there are four of you, I did not have enough of the three main starters ready to begin journeying with each of you," the Professor explained. "Because of this, I had to choose a different pokemon as the fourth option. I will warn you, this one is not as easy to handle so think carefully before choosing."

After that, the man flipped a switch at a small station and four pokeballs rose on a platform, each one with a special sticker on it, denoting the type of the pokemon within. From left to right; grass, fire, water, and finally electric. Ash became even more intrigued upon seeing the lightning bolt sticker on the fourth pokemon. Not only was this pokemon apparently more difficult to handle, but it was an electric type. Still, the other regular starters were good choices as well, and he always had a more specific interest in squirtles.

"Right, well I believe ladies should go first. Leaf, please choose the pokemon you would like," the Professor motioned towards the pokeballs. Hesitant at first, Leaf walked up and almost immediately picked up the one with the leaf sticker.

An obvious choice, but now Ash could no longer choose Bulbasaur. While not upset, there was still a small pang of regret since that could've been his. Quickly moving on though, Ash was still unsure of what pokemon to choose, the three before him were all good options. Before he knew it though, the other unnamed boy went up and chose Charmander. Now there was only Squirtle, and the mysterious fourth pokemon to choose from. A loud groan interrupted his thoughts.

"Come on Gramps! Why are you making me wait?! Squirtle could've been chosen by now," Gary whined, making Ash wince. The Professor sighed, knowing that while his grandson was highly intelligent, his manners and attitude still needed to mature.

"It is precisely because of your impatience that I am making you wait. You must learn to wait and respect the time of others, because not all life revolves around you," the Professor explained before turning to Ash. "Now, if you would like Ash, you may choose next."

Ash smiled softly, but then frowned. He could very easily choose Squirtle right now. It was the pokemon he wanted the most to begin with, and it would feel so good to rub it in Gary's face that he got the water type instead. Ash's frown deepened. That wasn't the type of person Ash was though, and despite how easily he could Ash didn't find it in his heart to be so cruel to Gary. They may be rivals, and Gary may be a real asshole sometimes, but this was still the start of his journey as well. Why sour it by taking the one pokemon he so clearly wanted? Knowing in his heart how he truly felt about the situation, Ash walked up and took the ball with a lightning bolt on it. Besides, if Ash could become friends with this pokemon then he could become friends with them all. He looked up and saw Gary take Squirtle off the station, smirking like he knew something they didn't.  
"And saving the best for last. Thanks Gramps! I know we'll be on our way soon so see ya! Smell ya later Ashy-boy," Gary taunted, laughing as he left the lab, tossing the pokeball up in the air repeatedly. The Professor sighed once more before wishing everyone good luck.

"Oh, and Ash, if you wouldn't mind staying behind a bit. I think it best if you become acquainted with your new partner here, rather than outside," Oak advised, to which Ash agreed. Saying goodbye to Leaf and promising to battle the next time they saw one another; Leaf left the lab followed by the fourth trainer.

Smiling, the Professor gestured for Ash to release the pokemon, and Ash did so without hesitation. Emerging from the blinding light is a small, yellow rodent with a lightning shaped tail and red circles on its cheeks. Ash stared for a moment before smiling wide. Using Dexter, he listened to the information on his new partner.

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon. Pikachu is sometimes struck by lightning, as it raises its tail to check on its surroundings. Pulling on said tail will lead to Pikachu attacking the culprit. This Pikachu is male and knows the moves Tail Whip, Thundershock, and Quick Attack. It has an egg move that can be unlocked," Dexter droned on. Ash was seriously impressed and knew even more so now that he had made the right choice. Looking up from Dexter, he was surprised to see the professor on the floor, static coming off him every few seconds. Rushing to him, Ash helped the older man off the floor and to a seat.

"Part of the reason this Pikachu is hard to control is because he doesn't like to be in his pokeball, but I can't let him roam because he tends to fry or eat my circuits and wires," the Professor explained. Ash understood but wasn't sure how to approach this. Trying to be strict might lead to more mistrust, and more shocking.

"Another theory I believe may be a reason is that Pikachu just has had bad experiences with humans," Oak said.

"Though I have nothing to back this up, he was very wary of me when I had first caught him," the Professor explained. This prompted Ash to question why he would even think about giving Pikachu to one of them.

"Because my boy, nothing would be better for a pokemon than for it to experience the special bond of being a trainers first pokemon," Oak explained. Ash could see some truth to this and looking at Pikachu, he really did feel such happiness and pride in knowing that it was his. Slowly approaching the pokemon, Ash knelt and smiled at it.

"Hi Pikachu! My name is Ash, and I'm your trainer. I promise not to put you back in the pokeball if you behave," Ash pleaded. While not exactly a guarantee of trust, it would earn him some leeway hopefully. The small mouse seemed to size him up, and determined he was being truthful. It wouldn't misbehave, but it also wouldn't really obey the trainer just yet. He had to prove himself.

"Well at least he hasn't shocked you, yet," Oak said, getting up to walk Ash out of the lab. As they walked out, Pikachu reluctantly walked behind them, knowing that either way he would be going with the boy. Better to do it outside of the pokeball. The Professor opened the door and followed Ash out of the lab as they began walking down the hill.

"Normally I wouldn't allow someone to start with a disobedient pokemon," Oak explained. "But I know from experience that you will be able to tame this pikachu in no time."

Ash thanked the Professor for his belief and appraisal, though he found it odd that the man said Ash specifically. He looked down at Pikachu who was scampering around before it noticed Ash. It turned its head away and pretended to ignore Ash. It would not be "tamed" by this person. Just because he was forced to follow it around does not mean he would have to listen. Ash frowned, knowing that the pikachu would be a handful.

Hearing lots of talk and cheering, Ash looked down to see his mother and a small crowd at the foot of the hill. Smiling he ran to everyone hugging his mom.

"Oh Ash, so many people wanted to see you off, well we felt it only right to come to you," Delia said, handing Ash his bag full of supplies.

"Now don't forget everything we talked about this morning okay?" Delia asked rhetorically, looking down and hugging her son closely. She held him for a moment, knowing that this would be the last hug she'd be able to give for the next few months. She pulled back, as tears started to slowly trickle down the side of her face. Ash smiled sadly, as he hugged his mom of his own accord.

"I'll be alright. I may not know exactly how, but I know what I need to do," Ash said, letting go of his mom and looking down at Pikachu. "Hopefully he'll help me along the way."

Pikachu for his part merely observed everything. He didn't know what to make of the human yet, but so far he couldn't say he hated what he saw. Pikachu cried out though as Ash's mom picked him up and began to cuddle with him, much to his disdain. When it became clear that she wouldn't let go, Pikachu became angry and his cheeks began to spark. Professor Oak quickly yelped and backed up as Ash's mom and everyone else was zapped. Ash let out a sigh as he looked at everyone next to him on the floor. They had lots of work cut out for them.

****(*)****

Ash was walking along Route 1, looking at his Pokedex and trying to figure out all its functions. So far he'd only been able to unlock the most basic stuff, such as scanning his pokemon or giving details of the route he was currently on. Route 1 was full of pidgey's and rattata's, but other pokemon had been seen on rare occurrences. Lately a flock of spearow had flown in and while not as common as its tamer counterpart, they were still more common than the evolved forms of both pokemon. Glancing at the time, Ash saw it was nearly one, so he decided to move to a clearing and set up camp. He glanced at Pikachu, who was reluctantly following behind him. Sitting on a rock, Ash pulled out a canister and a small bowl. Opening the canister, he poured out the food and set it down for Pikachu, then likewise, took out a sandwich for himself. Pikachu sniffed the food, unsure of what to do.

"It's not much, but it's food," Ash said, biting into his sandwich. Pikachu took a small bite and chewed. It wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't terrible either.

The two ate in relative silence. Ash had yet to gain Pikachu's full confidence and Ash knew it wasn't going to happen in one day. Thinking about it, the pokedex had said Pikachu currently knew Thundershock, Quick Attack, Tail Whip, and Charm. A decent moveset for this stage in their journey, but Pikachu would need to learn another move if he hoped to take on tougher opponents. It wouldn't hurt to capture a new pokemon, either. Unlike his rival, Ash didn't plan out his entire team before he started. He had some ideas on Pokemon he wouldn't mind capturing, but nothing was set in stone. Today proved that much. Pikachu had only briefly crossed Ash's mind for pokemon to capture, much less for it to be his starter. From the pokemon on the route, pidgey seemed like a good option. While not immediately strong, Ash had seen what its final evolution Pidgeot, was capable of in the Ranch. Mind made up, Ash cleaned up and prepared to move on.

"Keep an eye out for any bird pokemon, hopefully we can add a friend to the team," Ash said, hoping Pikachu was willing to help after being fed. Pikachu merely walked forward, so Ash followed suit. It was some time before Pikachu stopped, his ears twitching as it looked to the right. Ash stopped as well and looked over, and lo and behold a Pidgey was hidden among the grass.

"Alright Pikachu! Thanks for helping, now let's go capture it," Ash said, creeping forward as he kept an eye on the pokemon. He didn't want to scare it away after all. Pikachu followed, slightly annoyed at the boy's antics. When they were a few feet away, Ash looked down at Pikachu, asking for its help. The mouse considered it for a moment, and reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, get in close with Quick Attack and use a Thundershock to paralyze it," Ash commanded, and Pikachu scoffed. Why waste its electricity when it could simply attack head on? Running away as a white light trailed behind it, Pikachu rammed its body into the tiny bird, dazing it for a second.

"Pikachu! That's not what I said, use your Thunderschock!" Ash exclaimed indignantly, running closer to observe the battle. Pikachu rolled its eyes before unleashing a small current of electricity towards the bird. This pidgey though seemed experienced in battling and kicked up sand to cancel out Pikachu's attack.

Pikachu was shocked, thinking the bird was too dumb and weak to counter his attack. This had proved his point though that it'd be better for him to not waste electricity.

"Alright Pikachu use Charm to distract it," Ash said, pointing straight towards the pidgey. Once again though Pikachu disobeyed and used Tail Whip. It needed to lower the pidgey's defense first and this could be a distraction as well.

Ash cried out, looking upset and trying to scold Pikachu for disobeying. Things were not going well after all, and they would only get worse. Pikachu, tired of the boy's cries, looked back and yelled. He knew what he was doing, the boy should just let him be. Before he could turn back around though, Pikachu was struck from behind as the pidgey rammed its glowing wings. Pikachu was sent tumbling straight to Ash, and before Ash could react, the Pidgey flapped its wings and started a mini sandstorm. Blinded, Ash did his best to search for Pikachu, but ultimately waited until everything settled down. As the dust cleared and Ash looked around, he wasn't surprised to find the pidgey gone. Seeing that Pikachu was missing as well though, that worried Ash.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, looking around as he grabbed his bag. "Pikachu where did you go?"

Thirty minutes later and Ash had yet to find the little mouse. This was terrible! How could he be a Pokemon Master if he couldn't even take care of his starter? All that time trying to decide, the lack of sleep he had last night, all the anticipation and anxiousness he had for this journey had all been for nothing! Sighing, Ash slid into a crouch at the base of a tree. Hanging his head in dejection, Ash thought about the others that had started their journey today as well. The fourth teen he didn't know all too well. He grew up on the outskirts of Pallet, and his family owned a small general store. Leaf, well Leaf wouldn't be happy that he was giving up. But what was he supposed to do? He'd be considered a laughingstock if he returned to Pallet in his current situation, and the one leading the charge would be none other than Gary Oak.

Heh, Ash couldn't help but have a fire swell inside him when he thought about his rival. They had grown up as brothers, but as they grew closer to this day, Gary let the fame of his parents, and his grandfather inflate his own ego. Gary started acting like he was king of the world. Granted, the young Oak knew very well who Ash's dad was, but that only helped to fuel Gary's desire to belittle Ash and beat him in everything. It aggravated Ash to no end. If there were two things Ash didn't like in this world, one of them was for sure losing to Gary. Confidence rising back up, Ash smiled. Ash had pokeballs. He was a trainer! He would catch another pokemon on his own. Jumping up, he pumped his fist and turned his cap backwards, then yelled in determination.

****(*)****

Pikachu looked down at the boy as he searched frantically, calling out his name. Served the boy right to be worried and anxious for him. He knew what to do in that battle; if the teen had just let Pikachu do things on his own he would've won. Regardless, he was quite content relaxing in the branches of the tree. He picked some fruit and began to it. He'd reveal himself eventually: After all, Pikachu was still tied to the wretched ball the teen wore on his waist. Looking down it seemed the boy had given up, and was slouching against the very tree he was in. Oh well. Minutes passed, and Pikachu was startled when Ash jumped up and started to yell. Annoyed, it threw one of the fruit cores at the teen.

****(*)****

Looking up, Ash was surprised to see Pikachu up in the tree looking down at him.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, smiling wide, excited that he had finally found the small electric mouse. Yelling for the mon to come down, Ash was surprised when Pikachu didn't. Instead it looked away, as if annoyed, and resumed eating.

"Come on Pikachu, we have to keep going if we want to make it to Viridian by tomorrow," Ash said, slightly confused by the pokemon's action. Even more so, it looked like it would rain that night, so Ash knew they would need to find shelter. Still though Pikachu ignored Ash, this time yawning and preparing for a nap. Ash finally understood that Pikachu wasn't going to listen to him. What was he going to do? Ash knew he could simply put Pikachu in his ball and that would be the end of that, but then how would Pikachu trust him? How could he form a bond with him? Ash was determined though. He knew that if he could catch a pokemon without Pikachu, then Pikachu would see how competent Ash was. Was his logic flawed, maybe? But Ash needed to prove himself. He needed to show Pikachu just what kind of trainer he was.

"Fine! Stay up there and sleep," Ash told the mouse. "I'm not going to be cruel and send you to your ball, but I also don't need you! I'll show you that I'm competent."

Pikachu merely cared about the part with the Pokeball. So, he wouldn't force him in it? Strange, but then again, the teen did seem to be missing a few screws. He watched as Ash looked around in the tall grass. Was he seriously going to try and catch a pokemon on his own? The mouse noticed some feathers pointing up in the distance, and apparently so did Ash.

Picking up a rock, the teen chunked it as hard as he could at the pokemon. Smirking as he saw it strike, he quickly picked up another, prepared to throw it again. The bird looked up, and Ash gulped. What he had presumed to be another pidgey, was actually a spearow, and it looked very angry. Cawing, it flew towards Ash, beak glowing and eyes gleaming with malicious intent. It would put this human in his place and spilling the humans guts seemed the ideal way to do so.

Ash turned and ran, knowing that his best chance was to hopefully escape the bird. Before he got too far though, Pikachu ran by and towards the spearow. Turning, Ash glimpsed the moment Pikachu unleashed a Thundershock on the aggressive avian. It crashed into the ground and went limp. Ash was stunned, though that lasted all of two seconds when he felt a shock course through his body. Pikachu couldn't believe the stupidity of his trainer and made it obvious that he disagreed with his decision. Looking towards Pikachu, Ash smiled. It confused the small mouse, making him want to shock the teen even more. Before he could though, his ears perked and he turned to see the spearow get up, angrier than before, and a clear desire to kill both of them in its eyes. Opening its beak wide, it let out a great screech repeatedly. Ash's hairs tingled as he could feel the tension in the air, and Pikachu's ears persistently twitched, signaling that something was coming. A minute had gone by and both were anxious to see what would happen. Then, a giant black mass emerged from behind a tree in the distance. Several screeches and caws could be heard, as they picked up in volume and quantity. Ash froze for a second, before realizing his best option was to run. Looking down, he was going to tell Pikachu the same before noticing the mouse was already gone. Looking ahead, he could see the small, yellow mouse running along the path as rain began to fall.

Ash's body acted on its own accord, giving a response to the dire situation he was in. It responded to the instinct of survival, as there was no fight option in this scenario. One could only run, and fear. While normally not as fast as the pikachu species, Ash's desire pushed his body to new limits. His muscles ached as they swelled with each new step, as Ash continued to push himself. He caught up to the tiny mouse and ran alongside it, not daring to look back. The cacophony of noise produced by the giant mass of birds grew louder and louder, as if a slumbering monster had been awoken and was making its way towards the two. Ash pushed himself more, knowing that he couldn't fall back, that he couldn't relax for a second in this situation. He remembered stories of various trainers meeting their demise in the wild, he did not want to be another story.

He slowly passed the small mouse surprisingly, and had he taken a second to analyze the situation, he would've seen the faintest hint of blue. His lungs froze with each new intake of air, as the wind and rain pelted his face and the noise reached new levels. He knew the flock was right behind him. Then he stumbled, not because of a tree root or the slick ground, but from shock. Looking back, he could see all the spearow swarming Pikachu, and despite its advantage with Thundershock, there were just too many. One after another they struck Pikachu with their wings, beaks, talons, whatever was available or usable. Wing Attack, Peck, dark auras all struck Pikachu, and Ash moved. With his bag he swung and hit birds down, more than likely crippling them as they fell to the ground. Picking up the small Pokemon he ran once more, not only for his life, but that of his partners. Ash felt like he had run miles and miles, his body burning and his breath short and sharp as he gasped for air. He saw a cliff ahead but knew that his options were limited. Charging forward and drawing as big a breath as his heaving lungs allowed him, he jumped and plunged into the icy water of the creek below.

The spearow cawed angrily, knowing that they could not follow the human and its rat, but they would not give up. Breaking into multiple groups, they began to search for signs of the human resurfacing.

****(*)****

Misty Waterflower II was hastily putting away all her fishing equipment and the multiple rods she was using. The storm had come faster than she had thought, and she needed to escape. Luckily, she had her bike that would help her reach Viridian, or at least some shelter from the rain, quickly. As she moved to put away the last rod, she felt a tug, and an internal battle waged on. On one hand the storm was worsening, on another, she could lose a potential ally. Letting her love for water-type pokemon get the best of her, Misty pulled and pulled as hard as she could. The rod was struggling, and the weight she was feeling was big, meaning she possibly could've have snagged one of the rare encounters on the route such as a poliwhirl, or better yet, a gyarados. Pulling up with all her might, Misty fell back when out of the creek came not a pokemon, but a boy. In that boy's arms was a small, yellow mouse, and both were shivering and coughing up quite a storm. As they each gasped for the sweet treasure of air, the boy sat up wildly looking around before sighing.

"Oh my gosh are you okay?" Misty asked, clearly shocked by what had happened. Although Ash would've liked to say no, he knew that Pikachu was in worse condition, and needed medical attention.

"Spearow… chased… Pikachu… hurt," Ash said in between gasps of air. The girl looked at the two, very worried about the trainer's pikachu. She began to dig in her bag for potions and whatever other medicine she could to help, the pokemon would need everything she had.

Ash was slowly regaining his breath, though his body still ached from the overexertion it had just endured. Finally, he could relax. Looking over, the girl seemed to be pulling out various medicines to help them, which reminded him of his own. Carefully moving around so as not to disturb Pikachu, Ash shook his bag off before he heard an unmistakable noise; a caw and screech so ingrained in his memory, that his blood froze, and his heart stopped for the slightest second. The girl knew well what this sound was and knew it meant danger was coming. Ash looked around, saw the girl's bike, and resolved himself then that he was not going to involve her in this mess. Quickly getting up, he muttered an apology before placing Pikachu in the front basket and pedaling as fast as he could. Misty cried after him, before covering herself as she felt a horde of spearow fly by her. Some were too close, and scratched her, but she was not their prey. Looking ahead, she prayed for the boy and his pikachu.

****(*)****

Ash wanted to cry out, he really did, but he also needed to keep going. To save himself, to save Pikachu. As he rode up a small hill he frowned when he noticed how much he had slowed down. Unable to stop, Ash pushed forward, as the spearow began to catch up to him. He finally reached the top when the first of the spearow caught up to him and began to attack. More and more of the angry birds began to attack, and Ash tried his best to shield them both and pedal. It proved to be too much though and Ash crashed into the ground as he lost control of the bike. Pikachu went flying away and Ash held his arm as it surged with pain. The burning sensation meant that Ash had scraped it, and badly by the look of things. The birds continued to assault him, and he saw Pikachu cry as another part of the flock flew towards the mouse. Ash needed to protect Pikachu, but how? As he crawled forward, Pikachu's pokeball became unclipped and rolled forward. The realization of what Ash needed to do was tearing him apart, because he knew Pikachu would not want to be put in the ball. Reaching the mouse, Ash shielded him as best as he could, and looked down at the injured mouse.

"I need you to get in the ball buddy," Ash said softly, as the spearow scratched and pecked at his back, causing it to bleed. Ash continued to plead as he protected Pikachu. "I know you don't like it, but I need you to get in so I can keep you safe."

With that, Ash placed the ball by the mouse and started lashing out violently. Smacking and kicking any and all birds that he could to keep them at bay. Pikachu, with what little strength it had, shocked them all, causing the nearest birds to fall and the rest to back away. Ash cared for him, so he needed to help as well.

"Pikachu, get in the ball!" Ash pleaded, falling to a knee. He looked and saw that the spearow were eyeing them warily, knowing that they were afraid of another shock. They were scared, and Ash knew it. It created a resolve in him to stand, albeit barely. He looked up, turned his cap backwards, inwardly surprised he still had it, and stared down at the birds.

"Spearow! Listen to me!" Ash exclaimed, finding more resolve in their rising screeches. He would not back down.

"Do you know who I am? My name is Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town," Ash yelled! His voice raised, cracking slightly from the stress as he continued, "I am going to become the greatest Pokemon Master there ever was, and I will not lose to the likes of you."

"I will capture every single one of you," Ash said calmly, his eyes hardening with determination. "I will not fail!"

With the last remark, Ash charged, as did the spearow. Feeling a weight traveling up his body, Ash's eyes widened in horror as Pikachu leaped off his shoulders, cheeks sparkling. A glow surrounded the two very briefly and Pikachu charged up his attack. The electricity in the air built up rapidly, and in a mighty boom, Pikachu unleashed multiple arcs of lightning, shocking everything around him and causing a giant explosion. The explosion sent them all flying in various directions, multiple spearow fried from the heat of the explosion and the electricity surging through their bodies. Ash himself felt his body burn and sting and he heard the thud of Pikachu falling beside him. Looking over, he smiled but cringed in pain as the small mouse gently licked his singed face.

The clouds cleared, as if all the negative energy had been dispensed and all the tension released with that move. Ash had never seen anything like it, as it was no ordinary thunderbolt or thunder. Looking into the sky, Ash saw a brilliant rainbow as the sun set before him. He then glanced down the hill and saw the signs of Viridian's outskirts.

"We made it buddy," Ash said gently, as he held Pikachu closely. Hearing a soothing cry, the duo looked up and saw a majestic great bird flying in the sky, its beautiful tail feathers releasing waves that seemed to envelop the whole area. A feather fell straight to Ash, and he held it in his hand. A warmth enveloped the two and most of their injuries seem to be healed. Once again turning to Pikachu, he smiled softly wondering what pokemon that could have been. Pikachu licked his cheek, and both closed their eyes, darkness overtaking them.

****(*)****

**Well there it is. I know there are probably still some mistakes, but this has almost 7000 words of story that I've changed quite a bit over the past year. **

**If any of you remember the original, quite a bit has changed. I wanted to keep true to Ash's core character but also tweak some of his secondary traits. Overall I think what I have is an Ash that is similar to the Ash of the anime, but also quite different. It helps that I made him 15, so the maturity he has is easier to explain. Even so he is still a teenager, so he still has a lot to grow and learn. He still makes plenty of mistakes, and in the right conditions, acts without thinking. Overall though Ash is good-natured, he is kind, and he cares for his friends and family. So I hope I captured that much of him.**

**Hopefully you guys enjoyed. For now, I'll say this is a two-shot. I won't say it's complete just yet but it doesn't mean that can't change, but it doesn't mean it will. I make no promises because I know that for as much as I want to hold true to what my bio says, I can't. I'm older, have more responsibilities, and to be honest, I might just not be cut out for this. Once again though, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope this helped your day. **

**AcePotterBlaziken63, out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright here is chapter two! I know a lot of you probably have questions about why Steven is a character in this story. Have no fear I'm not trying to rip-off Traveler or any other OP Ash adventure, I just really love Steven. Gen 3 is my favorite generation, and I just feel that Steven should have been featured more than he was in the Advanced series. I know the XY specials with Alain featured him, but I still feel he deserves more. I'm glad that stories like Traveler showcase how great Steven is, and I hope my story can do the same. When I posted this story originally like five or six years ago, Steven was a character then as well. Similarly, any pokemon that Ash catches are done because I have a close relation and association to those pokemon. They're pokemon I love from the anime, or that I have used throughout my travels and think Ash could benefit from.**

**Anyway, onto the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any other worldly reference that may be mentioned.**

******(*)******

Ash woke up slowly, feeling sore all over as he tried to move in his bed. Wait, he shouldn't be in his bed. Jolting up, Ash winced as pain coursed all over him and he looked around. The white room had a few pictures here and there, and flowers at his bedside. He looked down at the soft blue sheets and noticed his arms were bandaged. Flexing his fingers, he somehow felt more soreness and just how tired his body was. It felt as if he lifted wailords for a living.

"You're very lucky," a new voice said, and Ash looked up towards the doorway where a man in a purple suit stood. The man walked in and sat in the seat next to Ash, looking very tired.

"I was conducting research in the forest along the route, when I saw the lightning and an explosion," he explained.

"I quickly made my way to the area where I found you and your pikachu unconscious. From there I had my Metagross transport all of us to the Pokemon Center and both of you were immediately taken to emergency rooms," the man finished, smiling at Ash.

Ash for his part was silent for a long while, taking it all in. It seemed so surreal that any of the events had happened and things had spiraled so out of control. Then the most important thought occurred to him; where was Pikachu?

"Your pikachu is resting, and all your stuff is in the drawer here," the man said, as if knowing what Ash's concerns were.

Pointing towards the drawer where the flowers were kept, the man told Ash his stuff was safely secured there. Once again silence reigned. Ash wasn't sure what to say and the man knew he didn't want to push things too soon. Ash blinked his eyes rapidly, finally processing everything and smiling softly.

"Thank you so much, Pikachu and I thought we were goners," Ash said as he leaned back. The man smiled and expressed he was just happy that Ash was alright. Leaving to let Ash change and get ready, he made a mental note to talk to the boy later.

Ash got up and dressed himself slowly, knowing that quick movements would only hurt. Checking to make sure he had everything, Ash paused at the newest item in his bag. The rainbow-colored wing from the giant bird that had flown overhead. Only one word could describe it, legendary. Ash still wasn't sure what exactly it was he saw. His pokedex had apparently recorded an image, and that man had called it Ho-Oh. It had saved him and Pikachu as well, but unlike the man, he could not thank it.

Once he was ready, he left the room with his bag and wandered around a bit, before finally lucking out and finding a desk. He talked to Nurse Joy, and she told him he was free to leave and go eat, but Pikachu still needed to rest for a few more hours. Wishing to see him, Nurse Joy took him to Pikachu's room, and Ash saw the small mouse deep asleep and looking peaceful. Thanking the nurse, Ash left for the cafeteria.

Grabbing multiple items from the buffet and sitting down at a table, one thing hadn't changed in Ash. His hunger. Wolfing everything down, there was a lot on Ash's mind. For one, he very well could've died. He also wasn't sure how Pikachu would feel towards him and that scared Ash. While Pikachu did seem to like Ash after the whole incident, he couldn't help but be scared that it was all in his mind. Before he knew it, the same man from earlier sat opposite Ash causing him to slow down and eventually stop eating. Looking closely, Ash couldn't help but feel some calm flow through him. The man held sincerity in his eyes, but also a steely gaze.

"I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Steven Stone," Steven said, holding his hand out and smiling towards Ash. Ash took the man's hand and shook it firmly, wondering what the man could want with him. The man looked important, and if he was conducting research in the forest than he had to be very intelligent.

"Do you mind telling me just what happened? How you two ended up in the situation you had?" Steven asked, bringing Ash from his thoughts. Ash was hesitant at first, but as he thought over the matter, the man _had_ helped him. Nodding, Ash told the story of the first day of his journey. Steven was very intrigued and listened carefully to every detail of Ash's story. Ash for his part didn't exaggerate or change anything, and Steven noticed that. After Ash had finished, the two sat in an uncomfortable silence, well uncomfortable for Ash. Steven was merely going over Ash's story and looking at Ash critically.

"I would like to iterate once again that you are very lucky. Not many people get chased by hundreds of spearow and live to tell the day," Steven said seriously. He also reprimanded Ash for being foolish enough to challenge a pokemon without Pikachu.

"While the pokemon found on Route 1 are typically weaker, even a weak pokemon can be dangerous to us," Steven told Ash, looking him directly in the eye.

"That being said…" Steven paused, causing Ash's attention to peak. "You clearly are very passionate, and your dream is admirable."

"You also hold much love and respect for pokemon, as evident by your treatment of Pikachu," Steven said. He smiled, allowing Ash to relax and feel more comfortable around Steven.

"Therefore, I have a proposition for you, but I need you to answer one question. What is your purpose?" Steven asked, looking intently at Ash.

Ash stayed quiet, knowing instantly the one goal he had in mind, but there needed to be more to it. He carefully thought out his answer, something he rarely did. Ash knew that the question wasn't one to be taken lightly.

"At first I wanted to just say becoming a Pokemon Master. While that's not an official title, I still want to pursue that goal," Ash explained.

"I know I want to battle, but beyond that I want to experience and learn all about pokemon. Not necessarily for research, but to see and enjoy pokemon for what they are," Ash said, a small smile beginning to blossom on his face, "our friends."

Steven continued to gaze at Ash critically, making the young boy anxious. The young man was clearly passionate about pokemon. Though Ash initially came across as short sighted, Steven now could see that a more mature mind lay beneath the brash exterior. It wouldn't be long before Ash would learn how to balance foresight with instinct.

"Then I would like to help you out on your journey," Steven said pulling out two items. One is clearly a pokeball, but the other is a device Ash hadn't seen before.

"This is the pokenav," Steven said, pointing to the device as he placed it and the pokeball on the table. "It's a multipurpose electronic from the Hoenn region, where I'm from. With it, you can make calls, upload maps of your current location, and best of all, this is a special prototype that was made to be compatible with pokedexes."

Holding out his hand, Steven smiled reassuringly so Ash handed over Dexter. After fiddling a bit, and plugging some wires into the pokedex, Steven turned on the pokedex. Checking to make sure everything was working properly, Steven smiled before showing Ash the new combination.

"As I said, it connects to your pokedex, allowing the pokenav to then use the pokedex's data to upgrade certain functions for other uses. Your maps will now show the availability of pokemon in the area more clearly than your pokedex had, as well as identifying any wild pokemon hiding close to you," Steven said.

Ash merely stared in wonder, as he took in all the amazing things the pokenav could do. Steven chuckled lightly, knocking Ash out of his stupor, and prompting the teen to exclaim in joy over how amazing science was.

Next Steven held out the Pokeball, waiting for Ash to take it. Hesitantly, the teen did, and immediately released whatever mon had been held inside. When the light died down, a small blue pokemon that looked to be made of metal floated in front of Ash.

"It's a beldum, a very rare pokemon from Hoenn," Steven explained, as he seemingly "scratched" the pokemon's head. Ash for his part was just too amazed to say anything. At Steven's urging though, he used his new Dexnav to register and scan Beldum.

"Beldum, the Iron Ball Pokemon,"Dexter began. "Beldum keeps itself floating by generating a magnetic force that repels earth's natural magnetism."

Giving off more biographical information, Ash went ahead and investigated Beldum's moveset and typing.

"This Beldum has moves it normally can't learn," Ash pointed out as he saw the moves Beldum could use. Dexter labeled them as egg moves.

"This Beldum is one of two that were bred from my Metagross. The other was used as a reward in a tournament back in Hoenn, but I would prefer if this one went to a trainer who could dedicate the time I can't," Steven explained. Ash took the information in but frowned after a minute looking intensely at Steven.

"Shouldn't Beldum go to someone with more experience?" Ash asked seriously, wondering why Steven would let him have it. "I only just started yesterday, and already I've messed up. I thank you Mr. Stone, but I don't think I'm the right person to give this pokemon to."

Steven had to admire the boy's honor. Other trainers, of any level would jump at the chance to receive a gift pokemon, and a this was a rare one to boot. Smiling softly, he recalled Beldum and then rehanded the ball to Ash.

"I admire you Ash, but I know that you will be nothing but the best trainer for Beldum. Your selflessness and kindness as evident just now are why I know I can trust you to raise this pokemon," Steven explained. His eyes were soft, but they dared Ash to challenge him on the subject anymore. Ash nodded and thanked the man greatly for the trust he placed in him.

"You're very welcome," Steven replied before becoming serious once more.

"Now as I said, I have a proposition for you. I want you to be the tester of the Dexnav. It hasn't been tested much outside of Hoenn, so we need to see how well it works in other regions. All you must do is go on your journey and use it as needed. All the data of its performance is automatically received as it is being used," Steven paused letting Ash take it all in. When the boy nodded his head, Steven smiled and continued.

"As thanks for your work, you will receive around 2,000 dollars every two weeks. I will periodically check in on you and when we believe we've gathered enough data, I'll meet up with you one final time," Steven finished explaining.

The two sat in silence for a moment, before Ash decided to fidget with the device. Occasionally he would ask a question about certain functions, and Steven would happily answer them. Some time had flown by and at some point, Ash had released Beldum and started to get to know it. Steven told Ash a lot about how to care for Beldum, explaining that Beldum's evolutionary line grew slowly.

"As I said before, beldum are quite rare," Steven began to explain. "They are considered by some to be pseudo-legendary because of how powerful and rare their final evolution is."

This once again made Ash doubt himself. How was he supposed to care for such a special and potentially powerful pokemon? His concerned were apparently evident as Steven placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly

"I know that you feel unqualified to train Beldum, but from your story, I wouldn't choose anyone else," Steven said, giving Ash a warm smile. Ash looked down as Steven continued to speak about the positive traits he sees in Ash that make Steven so sure about this decision. To Steven, Ash's compassion and kindness will ensure that Beldum is well cared for. After a moment of silence, Steven was surprised to be hugged by Ash. He could also hear sniffles and snorts, signifying that Ash was crying. When Ash finally pulled back, he had a warm smile on his face.

"Thank you for believing in me," Ash said, wiping away at his tears. "It means a lot and helps give me confidence to continue my journey after such a bad experience on my first day."

Steven smiled, reassuring Ash that he meant every word of it. The duo soon decided to check up on Pikachu once again, and Ash really hoped Pikachu was awake. Nurse Joy led them to Pikachu's room, stating that even if he was awake, Pikachu would still need to remain here to be examined before being released. Ash decided that was okay and for the best. They entered the room and to Ash's great joy and relief, Pikachu was indeed awake.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped out of bed into Ash's arms. Though Nurse Joy wasn't particularly ecstatic about such movement, she understands the joy a pokemon must feel when it sees its trainer.

Pikachu indeed was overjoyed to see Ash. It had treated Ash horribly and despite it all, Ash had protected and tried to save him.

"Okay! While I understand the bonds you two have are clearly deep you have some questions to answer young man," Nurse Joy said, giving Ash an expectant look.

After answering her questions, Ash quickly began retelling the story of his first day. Nurse Joy waited patiently till the end of Ash's story, making notes here and there. She let Ash catch his breath before she began her lecture.

"While I am glad that you and Pikachu were not seriously injured, I am very disappointed in you young man," Nurse Joy said, her voice serious but soft.

"It is your job to ensure that no harm comes to you and your pokemon, so deciding to provoke a pokemon without Pikachu was a very poor decision," Nurse Joy said, before continuing.

"That being said after such a situation blew out of proportion, I'm sure that you will not make the same mistake," Nurse Joy said, looking towards Ash with an expectant look. Ash quickly nodded his head, and Joy gave him a small smile. She walked out stating that Ash could talk to Pikachu for a bit longer but then he would have to go away for at least two hours so Nurse Joy could perform some tests. Even though the mysterious pokemon Ash described had healed their more serious injuries, Nurse Joy still wanted to ensure that Pikachu was in "tippy top" shape after the events of the previous day.

Once Joy had left, Pikachu suddenly retracted from Ash and looked down sadly. It had been thinking over what the nurse had said and realized that even though Ash should have been more responsible when dealing with wild pokemon, none of this would have happened if he had just listened to Ash. Ash had done nothing but show it kindness and yet Pikachu was mean and disrespected Ash quite a bit.

"What's wrong Pikachu?" Ash asked. Noticing that Pikachu wouldn't answer, Steven noted that Pikachu looked to be upset over something. After some probing, Ash finally figured out what had Pikachu so upset.

"So, you're upset with how you treated me yesterday?" Ash asked, hoping to confirm his suspicions. After a soft "chu" from Pikachu, Ash fell quiet for a moment. Not much later though, he smiled and brought Pikachu into his arms. The little mouse was shocked to see Ash so happy with it, but Ash quickly reassured Pikachu that he held no ill will towards the mouse.

"Besides, if we hadn't gone through that adventure then I doubt our relationship would be the same," Ash said.

"After yesterday, I feel like we'll be the best team in the world," Ash exclaimed, before looking back down at Pikachu with a smile. "Don't you?"

The little mouse was surprised to say the least, but without a moment to lose it nodded and gave a cry of its name. Ash and Pikachu then high-fived each other, and Steven couldn't help but smile and chuckle at their antics. Before long though, Nurse Joy returned to perform her tests, so Ash and Steven were quickly shooed out of the room and back to the lobby.

"Aw man. Well at least Pikachu is feeling much better," Ash said looking towards Steven. The man nodded, glad to see that everything was now working out for the pair. It was now that Ash was stumped. He wasn't sure what to do at all for the next two hours. Turning to Steven, he asked the man for any suggestions. Steven said that after making a call, they could go train Beldum for a bit. Who knows, they could even catch a pokemon.

Ash agreed and thought it was a wonderful idea, so Steven made off towards the phones. Ash sat on an armchair in the lobby, wondering who Steven would be calling. Ash then wondered why he cared so much before realizing exactly why he was so interested. He had to make a call of his own.

With a quick mutter of "shit," Ash made his way over to the video phones and took a phone one over from Steven. He dialed the number quickly, berating himself for forgetting to make this call. After a few obnoxious rings, his mom finally answered. She looked as if she was slightly winded but then realized she must've just finished some errands given the time. With a smile and wave, he greeted his mom in a cheery manner to hide his nervousness.

"Oh Ash honey, I'm so happy to hear from you!" Delia exclaimed, clasping her hands together with stars shining in her eyes.

"The caller ID says you're calling from the Viridian Pokemon Center. That's so great it took your father four days to reach Viridian when he left on his journey, and your grandfather longer!" Delia gushed, truly happy for her son. Ash just smiled, though inwardly he was a little saddened at the mention of his father. The man was never around so Ash's relationship with his father wasn't the best.

Delia then asked Ash when he had arrived in Viridian, and how his first two days as a trainer went. Ash stiffened, realizing he would have to tell his mom about all the details of his journey thus far. He apparently was silent too long though, because a concerned Delia asked if everything was alright. Deciding that the truth be his best option, Ash for the third time that day recounted the tale of his first day. He was getting tired of doing so, but his mom deserved to know the truth.

"And that's all that's happened so far," Ash finished explaining. He looked at Delia half expecting her to berate him as Steven and Nurse Joy did. He was only mildly shocked to see tears in his mother's eyes.

"Mom what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Ash asked, not understanding the emotions his mother must be feeling. Delia just waved him off, stating that finding out a mother could've lost her son is a very emotional experience. After a few moments though, she smiled softly at Ash, her eyes shining with some pride.

"While part of me is disappointed in your recklessness, a majority of me is just proud of man you're becoming," Delia said, tearing up once more. Ash smiled softly, wishing he could hug his mother and Delia vice versa. It was a nice tender moment before the two broke out of their trance. They talked some more, Delia reminded Ash to change his underwear, and before long Delia was signing off. She told Ash how proud she was of him and to thank Mr. Stone for her.

Sitting back, Ash had a small smile on his face. It may have been a bit nerve-wracking at first, but Ash was glad he had called his mother and told her about his journey. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Steven smiling at him. At the mention of training Ash jumped out of his seat and ran for the door. He couldn't wait to begin working with Steven and Beldum. He quickly left the doors, and then fell back hard as a throbbing pain coursed through his forehead. The stars clearing from his eyes, Ash looked forward to see a girl with red hair covering her nose and muttering.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and I just ran forward without thinking," Ash said, very worried about the girl.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, his voice quieting down as he reached forward slightly to help the girl up. The girl though only batted his hand away, a fury in her eyes that Ash had never seen.

"YOU!" she yelled, getting up and looming over Ash menacingly. Ash fell back down, looking up scared out of his mind as the girl proceeded to yell and scream her head off. Ash was quite disturbed, but then he noticed that the girl was bleeding from her nose and immediately stood back.

"Look! I'm sorry for all this trouble I've cause you, but you're injured right now. Can we please talk after you've gotten help?" Ash asked, hoping the girl would see reason and calm down.

For a second it looked like she wouldn't, as she almost went back on her tirade. After a moment though she huffed and agreed, pushing past Ash to walk into the Center. Turning around, Ash saw Steven give him a questioning look and Ash just mouthed that he would explain later.

******(*)******

Ash was very nervous. The girl, Misty, had been staring at him for the past twenty minutes. It wasn't a glare, but she also wasn't without any negative feelings towards him. Ash had tried to converse multiple times, but in the end no sound would leave his body. Steven for his part just watched. Despite his desire to learn more about the situation, Steven knew that this altercation needed to be only between Ash and Misty. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity more for Ash, Misty spoke.

"Do you know why I'm upset?" Misty asked, fixing Ash with a questioning gaze.

"Because I almost broke your nose?" Ash asked, very unsure of what Misty wanted. Misty sighed, massaging the crook of her nose. She looked up, looking deep into Ash's eyes. Noticing no recognition, she huffed and fixed Ash with a glare.

"You don't even recognize me, do you?" Misty asked. Ash's silence was all the answer she needed. Her anger flaring, Ash got very nervous. Misty though took a deep breath, regaining her composure. The silence remained thick, and Steven wondered if he should step in to mediate whatever was about to happen.

"Look. In the past I would've been livid about this, kind of still am," Misty began, letting Ash relax just a bit, and intriguing Steven.

"But I've had a day to think over everything and I don't hold it against you," Misty finished. Ash was silent for a second before daring to ask what exactly Misty wasn't holding against him.

"Right, so you don't recognize me apparently, but I'm the girl whose bike you stole yesterday," Misty said, her explanation causing the gears in Ash's mind to turn. Misty couldn't help but give a small chuckle as realization hit Ash's face, and then fear and worry.

"Look I'm really sorry, but it was an emergency! I had to save my Pikachu, and to be completely honest I don't know where your bike is now," Ash explained softly.

"I know, which is why I said I won't hold what happened to my bike against you," Misty said. Ash was almost afraid to ask but ended up doing so anyway.

"Glad you asked. Well somehow my bike ended up burnt and broken to pieces," Misty explained, pulling out the handlebars to back up her claim. Ash swallowed nervously, having an idea of what happened to the bike.

"Okay, like I said I'm really sorry," Ash began to say, "but I don't know how to repay you. I don't have any money."

Misty stayed silent, staring straight into what felt like Ash's soul. After a minute, she huffed and looked away.

"I already said I won't hold it against you. A younger me would've yelled at you until my face turned blue, threatening you to pay me back, but that isn't necessary," Misty said, her voice dipping at the end. An uncomfortable silence, for Ash, settled. He prayed something would happen that could break up the moment, and Arceus answered.

"Ash Ketchum, your Pikachu is ready to be checked out," Nurse Joy said over the intercom. Ash thanked whatever god heard him and excused himself. Both Steven and Misty got up to follow and were happy to see the interaction between Ash and his partner.

"Well it looks like he's all better," Misty said, smiling softly as Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder. Ash still nervous around Misty merely smiled and nodded. Now that Pikachu was all cleared to go, he could continue his journey and move on.

"Well, it's only noon, so how about we go train for a bit?" Steven asked earning a vigorous nod from Ash.

Misty, as it turned out, was a good training partner. She had asked to join them, much to Steven and Ash's surprise. This worked out though, as Steven could coach each of them much better by observing on the side. It was also found out, that Misty aspired to be a water pokemon master. Thus, her only two pokemon were Staryu, and Goldeen. Despite not having water readily available, her Staryu moved on land just as well as it might underwater. Misty's Goldeen on the other hand… let's just say it still had a bit to go.

And hour after all the sparring, Steven suggested they do some individual training. Misty agreed, leaving to find a river or pond. This let Ash have some personal training from Steven.

"So, now that you and Beldum have gotten to work together, what do you think?" the man asked. Said pokemon butted Ash lightly at the mention of his name, and Ash couldn't help but laugh.

"He's great! I really hope to live up to the expectations that you've given me," Ash said, as Pikachu and Beldum both cried out in agreement. Steven merely smiled and reassured him that everything would be fine.

"Alright, so what should we do now?" Ash asked, looking at Steven expectantly. Steven paused for a second, thinking about what he wanted to say.

"How about you lead this, and I'll jump in occasionally. After all, I won't be with you during all of your journey," Steven said, getting a nod from Ash. And so, Ash began to work. His first instinct was that his pokemon should work on their endurance. During their battles with Misty, Ash's pokemon tired more easily than her Staryu, even though it was battling constantly and not being switched out.

"Alright guys let's work on some endurance," Ash said, and everyone got to work. Ash had Pikachu start by running back and forth across the field multiple times. Once it began to tire, Ash set a two-minute timer for a break, and then had Pikachu discharge his Thundershocks repeatedly. Rinse, and repeat. For Beldum, Ash had it use it's attacks on nearby boulders. Although it could use Iron Head and Zen Headbutt as they were egg moves, each move was more a glorified headbutt. Steven would step in occasionally to suggest something, but overall, he was impressed with Ash. Ash seemed very intuitive when it came to analyzing his battles, and knew what he needed to improve on with his training. Steven also reminded Ash that his DexNav was a good tool to use for planning out future training sessions. He could look up moves he wanted his pokemon to learn, and there was a notepad function to write out tasks or reminders.

After what seemed like ages, though it had only been roughly an hour, Ash's pokemon collapsed. Beldum couldn't even keep itself up with its electromagnetic powers. Ash smiled softly, recalling Beldum before picking up Pikachu. Both pokemon worked hard, but their inexperience meant they tired quickly.

Steven and Ash walked back inside, Ash handing over his pokemon to Nurse Joy, who said that his pokemon would be returned shortly. With that, Ash nodded and walked towards the cafeteria where Steven was waiting for him. Ash was quite hungry, so he scarfed as much food as he possibly could, putting Steven slightly off. After realizing how atrocious he must look, Ash slowed down and ate his food at much more normal pace. After another bowl of ramen, Ash set his dish on top of a very high pile and burped. He quickly apologized and turned red from embarrassment. Steven merely eyed Ash strangely, not having expected the boy to eat like a snorlax. After another awkward moment for the boy, he tried to spark conversation.

"So, Steven, how do you know so much about training?" Ash asked. He had been very intrigued with how expertly Steven could dissect and correct his training decisions, as well as coaching both him and Misty in their mock battles. Steven was caught a bit off guard but smiled slightly at the question.

"Let's just say I've done my fair share of adventuring," Steven said, hoping this explanation would suffice. Ash stared at the man for a moment, before nodding and seemingly accepting the answer. Ash thought there was more to it, but he wasn't going to push. When Nurse Joy paged for his pokemon, a sudden thought occurred to Ash. Quickly thanking the Nurse, Pikachu hopped on Ash as the trainer returned to Steven, eyes holding much excitement.

"Steven, could I meet Metagross?" Ash asked, becoming nervous towards the end of his question. Steven gazed at Ash critically, before nodding and motioning for Ash to follow. Once outside the Pokemon Center and in the designated training fields, Steven released Metagross.

Ash could only gape in wonder at the four-legged behemoth. Metagross _exuded_ power. Not just physical prowess from its size and bulk, but an intense psychic presence as well. Ash momentarily flinched as his mind felt a strong presence push its way inside. He was a little off put by the invasion, but figured it wasn't done on purpose. After recovering from his shock, Ash looked at the _titan_ of a pokemon and stared intently into its eyes.

"Thank you for saving Pikachu and me Metagross," Ash said sincerely, not breaking eye contact. The trainer felt another mental push, though this one was more subtle, and understood that Metagross had accepted his thanks. Ash smiled as he released Beldum, who made a sound that was far from its usual robotic cry. It floated over to Metagross, touching the "X" marking across its face for a few moments before moving back towards Ash. Metagross then looked at Ash and once again the trainer felt a push of psychic energy into his mind. This one was a little more forceful, but nothing like the original wave that had been unleashed when Metagross materialized. He caught glimpses of his life, both good and bad, before coming back to reality. He stared at Metagross in shock, and a little anger. The great pokemon finally nodded, sounding off a deep mechanical rumble that made Ash think it was evaluating him.

"I'm sorry," Steven spoke, reminding the trainer that the man was there.

"Beldum wanted to pass on its new experiences and information to Metagross," Steven began to explain. "So once Metagross learned of what had passed to come, it wanted to get to know you."

Ash stared back at the metal giant, still unsure of how to feel. On one hand Ash could understand since his Beldum was apparently this Metagross' child, but still. The invasion of his mind and memories wasn't something he had enjoyed. Finally sighing, Ash gave the pokemon a small nod. Ash felt Steven's hand on his shoulder as the man returned his pokemon.

"Again, I'm sorry. The metagross line are very hive minded, so they tend to be protective of one another. Though there are exceptions and sometimes powerful Metagross go off to live on their own. Despite this they will always have a mental link to others of its kind," Steven said as he squeezed Ash's shoulder reassuringly. The young trainer nodded as he looked at Beldum who had begun to play with Pikachu.

"It's still a decent hour, how about we go test out the PokeNav in one of the routes surrounding Viridian?" Steven asked, hoping this would take Ash's mind off the slightly uneasy encounter. Ash nodded, smiling as the prospects of catching a new pokemon excited the teenager.

******(*)******

The duo and Pikachu had been out on Route 22 for nearly twenty minutes now. Even with the use of the DexNav, they hadn't encountered a single pokemon yet. Ash was beginning to fear that it wasn't working properly. Steven on the other hand, merely hummed in thought.

"It's strange. The preliminary tests I did on Route 1 had worked fine," Steven said as they continued to look around. The knee-high grass did well to hide pokemon in general, but the DexNav should have found something by now.

Time flew by before a small beep gained both trainers attention. There was a small blip to the left of them on the DexNav's radar. As Ash turned and made his way, the blip became more defined, until finally the DexNav got a scan of the mysterious pokemon.

"Nidoran, the Poison Pin pokemon," Dexter began to say. "Its large ears are always kept upright. If it senses danger, it will attack with a poisonous sting." Ash began to wonder what Dexter meant before Steven pulled him aside.

Ash barely got a glimpse of purple pins that flew past the spot he had just been standing in. He gulped and turned back towards where Dexter was taking him, finally seeing the Nidoran in question. It's larger horn, purple skin, and deadly, poison dripping spikes told Ash all he needed to know. This was a male Nidoran, and it clearly thought it was in danger.

Pikachu hopped down and sparked his cheeks, very upset that this rabbit had tried to harm Ash. The Nidoran became wary, not wanting to make the first move just yet. It took Ash a moment before he finally realized what he needed to do. The trainer smiled, a determined look setting his face as he turned his cap backwards for better visibility.

"No Pikachu back off," Ash said, hoping Pikachu would understand. The mouse however cried in indignation, wanting to make the other pokemon pay for attempting to hurt Ash.

"I understand, but Nidoran is very poisonous, and if you touch one of its spikes, you'll get very sick. Let Beldum handle this," Ash said as he released the Iron Ball pokemon. Pikachu growled, but ultimately agreed reluctantly. It let Beldum take over, ensuring that Beldum stood in between it and Nidoran before running to protect Ash. It sparked its cheeks menacingly once more and looked onward to the battle. Beldum made its hollow robotic cry, as the Nidoran tried to make its spikes look more deadly.

"Beldum go in with Zen Headbutt!" Ash cried, deciding to break the tension. Beldum rushed forward, a faint pink glow surrounding its head as it charged towards its opponent.

Nidoran though deftly dodged to the side, before closing its eyes and concentrating its body. When it opened its eyes back up, it pulsed with energy and charged at Beldum. Nidoran's horn leaked some nasty looking poison, but thanks to Beldum's steel typing, the poison was ineffective. The charge itself though had hurt as Beldum was sent back from the force. Nidoran kicked up sand with its feet, daring Beldum to face it again. Ash smiled, this pokemon had a lot of fight.

"Alright Beldum this time hit him with an Iron Head, let him know just what he's dealing with," Ash said, prompting Beldum to charge forward. The metal making up Beldum's body shined, as it neared the Nidoran once more. Nidoran, not wanting to be outdone, charged forward as well. The two clashed and held their ground. For a moment, the two looked to be in a stalemate, neither pokemon giving an inch. In a split second though Beldum gave a metallic cry and pushed Nidoran straight into the ground. It was a bit surprising, but Ash didn't waste the opportunity.

"Go pokeball!" Ash exclaimed as he threw the ball and hit his mark. Nidoran was quickly sucked in, becoming the red energy many recognized before the ball shut. It shook only for a moment before a small ding signaled success. Ash walked over and picked the ball up gingerly. He couldn't believe it; he had just caught his first pokemon!

"I caught a Nidoran!" Ash cried out, as he and his two pokemon posed dramatically. The trainer rushed over to Steven, wanting to talk about the experience but stopped when he heard a slow, drawn out clap.

"Well, well, nice job there Ashy-boy," Ash heard, making his blood boil as he turned around and saw the one person he really would rather not.

"Though to be honest, I don't think you would have been successful if you didn't have that Beldum there," Gary remarked as he walked towards Ash and Steven from a boulder he had been leaning on. Ash wasn't sure when Gary had arrived, but he wasn't going to let his rival make a remark like that.

"What do you know?" Ash asked, wanting to make a cruder remark, but reminding himself that Steven was right here. Steven for his part, just observed. He wasn't sure what Ash's relationship to this other boy was, but he didn't like him so far. Gary just smirked as he took a pokeball out and twirled it on his finger.

"Well I've just so happened to have already caught every pokemon from here to Pallet, _Ashy-boy_," Gary explained, making sure his nickname for Ash was stressed out.

"How many pokemon have you caught, hmm? For that matter how did you get a Beldum?" the spiky haired trainer asked, as he continued to spin a pokeball on his finger.

"I gave him the pokemon," Steven explained. Gary looked over at Steven, finding him familiar for some reason. The teen couldn't help but feel as if he knew the man somehow, or from somewhere. It frustrated him to not know, and after he couldn't quite figure out why, he huffed and tossed his pokeball in the air.

"Well I actually _work_ for my pokemon. I don't take charity like you seem to do," Gary said, each word causing Ash to anger more and more. The two stared each other down, Gary smirking at Ash as he continued to push the teen's buttons.

"It's no use going further west. You can't get past the pokemon league gates without a badge and I bet you don't even have the Boulder Badge yet," the other trainer said, biting into Ash's insecurities. Did Gary really have a badge already? He apparently had caught every species from here to Pallet so was it hard to believe that his rival was that far ahead. Gary smiled haughtily, knowing that he had Ash right where he wanted him.

"How about this," Gary began to say, "I'll give you a potion to heal your Nidoran, and we'll have ourselves a three-on-three pokemon battle."

He took out a small potion from his pocket and tossed it to Ash. The trainer caught it easily but was unsure of what to do. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to pummel Gary and show him how strong he was. On the other hand, what if Gary was so much stronger and did have a badge? Ash would just put his pokemon in an unnecessary risk.

"What's the matter Ashy-boy? Trust me, I'm still going to beat your pokemon senseless," Gary taunted. That was the last straw for Ash, as he quickly sent out Nidoran and healed it with the potion. After a moment, the pokemon woke up and looked around, feeling a heavy weight in the air. It looked towards Ash and saw the glare its trainer was sending towards another boy. It quickly growled and released several spikes, each dripping with poison. Ash may have only just caught it, but Nidoran had lost fair and square. Nidoran respected strength, so it meant he would respect and listen to Ash.

"Alright Gare-bear," Ash said, his voice serious but with a sharpness to it. Ash returned Beldum and sent Nidoran forward, the small pokemon more than happy to fight. It growled once more, pushing its spikes as far out as it could to make it appear more menacing.

Gary merely smirked, throwing a pokeball forward in a fluid motion. When the light died down, Ash was surprised to see a small plant pokemon. Its main body consisted of thin, but sturdy roots and two large leaves for hands. The root body led to its bell-shaped head. Its mouth was open, and its small, barely noticeable eyes looked blank.

"I'll think I'll start things off. Bellsprout use Growth," Gary said, his voice confident and smug.

Bellsprout cried out, absorbing sunlight into its body before it became enveloped in a white glow, its body becoming thicker and longer. Ash frowned, knowing that if Gary continued to power-up his pokemon it wouldn't bode well for him.

"Nidoran use Poison Sting," Ash said confidently. The small rodent concentrated, and several pins were released from the spikes on its body. Although most flew past Bellsprout, Ash had to smile when some landed not far from Gary, causing the boy to flinch. Focusing back on the battle, Ash smiled as his strategy had worked. Bellsprout's thin body had caused most of the pins to fly past it, but its rather large head and leaves were easy targets. Many pins seemed to have stuck in its face, causing the normally blank eyes to be narrowed in anger. It shook as it tried to get rid of the pins in its face and leaves. The poison in them wouldn't be much of a bother to Bellsprout, who like many of Kanto's grass types had a natural affinity to toxins and poison, but the pins still hurt its fragile body.

"Good now Focus Energy, then keep it on its toes with Poison Sting," Ash commanded, confident that his pokemon would beat Gary's in no time.

The Pin pokemon growled as its body stiffened and flexed, its muscles becoming primed for use. Focus Energy was a very simple move, hence its normal typing. It required the user to focus its body, allowing energy to build and fill it with power. Untrained users like Ash's Nidoran would just let the power flow into their bodies, but skilled and more experienced mons could focus that energy into a single area, maximizing the damage done from an attack.

The next moment Nidoran carried out Ash's second command, as many poisonous pins were ejected from its body. These flew faster and were more precise, causing Gary to command Bellsprout to dodge. The small plant seemed to almost blow in the wind as its body twisted and turned to try and dodge many of the pins. Try as it might have, several of the pins still managed to strike their mark as they hit the plant's face and leaves. It cried from being pierced and tried to shake the pins of its body fruitlessly.

"Great now finish this off, Nidoran! Charge at it with your horn," Ash said confidently once more. Nidoran cried as it charged forward, a small aura enveloping its horn. Most Nidoran had a natural affinity for the move Horn Attack, although at this point it was less focused energy and more blunt force.

"Heh, amateur. Bellsprout quit crying and use Vine Whip! Show these two they've made a mistake," Gary said, flicking his hair to side as Bellsprout suddenly snapped to attention. With speed that Ash couldn't believe, two vines extended from below Bellsprout's leaves and caught Nidoran with a snap. Neither Ash nor Nidoran reacted as Bellsprout raised Nidoran up and slammed him hard to the ground.

"Now squeeze. Show them your Wrap," Gary said, no longer interested in the match. Bellsprout listened intently, tightening its hold on Nidoran, causing the rodent to squeak in pain. Ash grinded his teeth, unable to see a way out of the situation. After a few more seconds, Bellsprout tossed Nidoran towards Ash. The small rodent was clearly knocked unconscious, probably from a lack of oxygen.

Ash silently returned his friend, apologizing for the grave mistake he had made. Gary knew his pokemon well and knew what technique to best use in a situation. Not to mention Bellsprout had received an increase in its stats from Growth. He had gotten overconfident, but he now knew to be more cautious of his rival. Even as Ash released Beldum once more, Gary couldn't help but taunt Ash.

"Am I great or what? I guess you just don't know enough about Pokemon do you Ashy-boy?" Gary asked as he spun Bellsprout's pokeball on his finger.

"I mean, if you really knew _anything _about pokemon, you would know a grass types vines are its most versatile weapons," Gary continued to say. Gary's remark certainly held true for most of Kanto's plants. Half of the grass types native to Kanto had vines at their disposal since birth. Their control over said vines only increased with age and experience, meaning Gary had found a rather strong bellsprout. It probably wouldn't be long before the pokemon evolved into a weepinbell, and Ash shuddered to think how things would turn out for him then if he didn't have an appropriate counter to that pokemon. Shaking his head, Ash needed to focus on the now rather than the later. For now, he needed to command Beldum and avenge Nidoran.

"You know what, Gary? You might talk a lot, but I guarantee I'll beat all three of your pokemon without losing Beldum or Pikachu," Ash said, hoping to antagonize Gary for once. His rival huffed in annoyance, clenching the pokeball tight in his hand.

"You wish! Bellsprout, use Vine Whip to wrap that stupid paper weight," Gary yelled, thrusting an arm forward and pointing straight at Beldum. Bellsprout quickly obeyed, and its two vines struck quickly, snapping against the steel type's body. Both Gary and Bellsprout were quickly confused though, as Beldum wasn't brought to the ground no matter how much Bellsprout struggled to do so.

Beldum's natural affinity to levitate using electromagnetic propulsion meant that the force keeping Beldum aloft had to be greater than the force gravity had on the pokemon. In simple terms, Beldum wouldn't be moving anywhere. Bellsprout had great strength in its vines, but it couldn't hope to bring the Iron Ball pokemon down with its small frame. Ash had planned that, and now he would take full advantage.

"Into the air, take Bellsprout with you using Zen Headbutt," Ash said, as Beldum gave a robotic cry and shot off. The slight pink aura around its head allowed it to zoom through the air undeterred, and Bellsprout was quickly lifted high into the air before it finally had the sense to let go. Its landing was not so graceful though, and the plant crashed into the ground. Bellsprout's roots smacked hard into the ground, though thankfully for Gary, not in a way that would incapacitate the pokemon. Even then, the impact knocked Bellsprout out easily, as Beldum floated back down in front of Ash. Gary recalled Beldum, being silenced for once by the unexpected loss. Ash simply smiled, congratulating Beldum on a job well done. Without hesitation Gary released his next pokemon.

As the light died down Ash only frowned as he saw the turtle that could have been his had he been more selfish back at the lab. Ash wasn't upset to see it, rather, he was upset about having to battle a pokemon that could have been his friend. Hearing Gary's voice though, brought him out of his thoughts.

"Let's see how you deal with Squirtle. This is my starter and strongest pokemon, more than enough for you Ashy-boy," Gary said, as he flicked his hair once more. The tiny, or more not so tiny, turtle grunted in agreement. It crossed its arms and smirked at Ash and Beldum, causing any sympathetic thoughts to leave Ash's mind. What little time it had spent with Gary meant that it had already adopted parts of Gary's personality. Ash would not feel sorry for beating it.

"Beldum charge in with Iron Head," Ash said as he stared intently across the field. Beldum followed Ash's command and rushed forward, its head glinting in the sun inadvertently blinding Squirtle. Beldum crashed into the turtle's underbelly, driving it into the ground. Squirtle struggled on its back, wiggling its limbs helplessly, causing Ash to sort of pity the creature.

"Squirtle stop messing around. Withdraw and then Water Gun," Gary said to the small reptile. It took a moment before Squirtle stopped flailing, popping into its shell as a blue glow surrounded its body. Ash frowned, knowing the increase defense would make it harder to take out.

What surprised Ash though, was the lone stream of water that suddenly started from where Squirtle's head retracted. The jet of water propelled it forward, turning it into something akin of a small canon ball. Smart. Gary presumed that with the raised defenses, Squirtle would be more than a match for Beldum's hard, iron body. Gary presumed wrong.

"Alright Beldum, meet them head on with Zen Headbutt," Ash commanded, confident in his pokemon's strength. They had worked for quite a while earlier today, so Beldum would be more than a match for Gary's Squirtle. Even now the pokemon's move was becoming stronger and more focused with each consecutive use.

The two pokemon met in the middle with a resounding bang, as Beldum's iron body resonated from the impact. Interesting Ash thought, even as the two struggled against each other. While Ash had no doubt that Beldum wasn't very hurt from the attack, it seemed Gary's Squirtle hadn't a scratch either. This would be harder than he thought.

"To the sky Beldum," Ash said to his robotic friend. The Iron Ball pokemon pushed with all its might, sending Squirtle rolling back and out of its shell in surprise, and immediately took to the sky.

"That's fine. Use this chance to Withdraw once more," Gary said confidently, a smirk creeping onto his face. Squirtle popped back into his shell, his body glowing blue as the carapace hardened once more. It shined brightly, from the energy Squirtle has been focusing into it. Ash analyzed the turtle quickly, trying to find some weakness in Gary's strategy.

"Stop playing chicken Ashy-boy, or I'll shoot you down," Gary taunted, as his Squirtle unleashed a powerful blast of water towards Beldum. It struck Beldum but did little more than to annoy him. Still, Squirtle had ranged attacks whereas Beldum had to rely on close combat. Ash could easily switch out to Pikachu, but he knew that Beldum would only be disappointed, or even angry, with being recalled.

"Fine, I can wait. Withdraw again," Gary said as Squirtle heedlessly followed Gary's command. The glow of concentrated energy once again focused on its shell, making it shine even brighter than before. Ash instinctively look down to avoid the bright light, though he soon found it strange that the light seemed to dim as he looked downward. Facing his opponents, Ash found the crack he needed to slip into Gary's fortress.

"Beldum, full speed Iron Head," Ash cried. Gary merely smirked, as he commanded Squirtle to propel itself with Water Gun, powering up its Tackle attack. When the two collided, a resounding clang was heard as Squirtle's hard shell clashed against the cold metal of Beldum's body. Each opponent pushed fiercely, not wanting to give an inch in this battle of wills.

Ash smiled, not able to believe Gary had taken the bait. While Squirtle's shell may have had its defensive capabilities exponentially, in this head-to-head battle, Ash's Beldum relied purely on its own strength. Squirtle meanwhile was continuously using Water Gun to match Beldum, and as soon as Ash saw Squirtle's fatigue settle in, Ash went for the kill.

"Now Beldum! Flip Squirtle onto its back," Ash said, his eyes fierce with determination. Beldum gave a loud groan as it pushed as hard as it could. Squirtle, unable to match Beldum's force, was pushed back and continued to flip until it landed on its back not far from Gary. With Ash's final command, Beldum dove in with Zen Headbutt straight onto Squirtle's underside.

The tiny turtle was forced out of its shell, a resounding pop as its limbs came out and quickly fell. Squirtle had been defeated. Gary could only stare in shock, gritting his teeth as he recalled his fallen starter. Ash cheered and congratulated Beldum on a job well done.

"I forfeit the battle. Even if my third pokemon could defeat Beldum, you still have Pikachu," Gary said, angrily admitting he can't defeat Ash. This came as quite the shock to Ash.

"Make no mistake Ashy-boy! I may have underestimated you this time, but now I know better. There will be tons of tough trainers at the Indigo League Tournament and I will get past them, and you," Gary vowed. He shoved past Ash and before long, he had disappeared from their sight.

"If he has caught every pokemon from here to Pallet Town, why did he forfeit?" Ash asked, continuing to stare into the distance where Gary had gone. His rival was a pain, but he just couldn't understand him sometimes.

"There are multiple reasons," Steven said, causing Ash to break away from his trance.

"For one, many trainers catch as many pokemon as they can, but they really only train a select few," Steven began to explain. "Another reason could be that he was just exaggerating and goading you for that battle."

Ash stayed silent while he contemplated this. Gary had said that he had been underestimated. This meant that Gary had thought he would be an easy victory. Ash frowned as he continued to think over everything else Gary had said. While he may have won this match, Ash would have to train even harder to ensure victory in the future. Gary was right, the road to the top of Indigo would be a tough one. Feeling Steven's hand on his shoulder he looked towards the man and smiled.

"Let's go back to the Pokemon Center and get your pokemon healed," Steven said, and the two headed back to Viridian. The sun was slowly setting behind them as Ash took one last look towards the Indigo Plateau.

******(*)******

**Well this is it. I have started working on a third chapter, and although it's been a slow process, I am halfway done with it. This does not mean I will be updating any time soon. As I said in the first chapter, this is just for me to post basically find peace with the story. I will continue to work on the next chapters, but I only have a rough idea of where I want the story to progress. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello All! Welcome back to To Be A Master! Working title because I realized that there are other fics titled this, including one I am reading that is in progress. I highly recommend you guys go read To Be a Master by Izzyaro, it is a great story that is also a different journey take. I won't say any more so seriously go read it!**

**Anyway, a shorter chapter than I wanted but to be honest this is the tail end of the last chapter. My original plan for chapter two was for a shorter mix of this and the contents from last chapter, but eventually it just became a lot, so I split it. Chapter four is the trip through Viridian Forest and that is being edited currently. Just as before though, I won't make any promises on when I'll upload. Now, enjoy chapter three!**

******(*)******

Ash woke up slowly, hearing Pikachu cry out to him as the little mouse frantically pulled on his sheets. Looking around Ash realized it was pitch black and went to turn on the lamp next to his bed. After fumbling for a bit, Ash finally found the cord he needed and pulled. Once… twice… after the third time Ash gave up, frowning at the lamps malfunction. Pikachu took this moment to jump on the bed and nudge Ash. Ash began to scratch his back but paused when he felt Pikachu tense. He felt Pikachu's ears twitch, heard him sniff the air. Pikachu relaxed and Ash wondered what that had all been about but was broken from his thoughts when the door opened and closed rather quickly.

"Wha-" Ash began to say before feeling someone's hand on his face. The hand was very calloused but didn't seem to try and smother Ash. He heard Steven's voice softly tell him to pull out his DexNav, and whisper if needed to talk. Ash quickly handed the device to Steven and soon Ash could hear the man fidget with it. First, he heard Steven lowering the machines volume. Then, he turned on a light that momentarily blinded Ash, a light he didn't know the DexNav had.

"Alright Ash, I don't have long," the man began to say, the light illuminating his face. "It seems the Pokemon Center is under attack. I have already sent Metagross to protect the sick pokemon and the storage room. I will be joining him shortly."

"I need you to stay in this area and be a lookout for me. I don't know who or what is attacking the center, but the central power has been cut off," Steven said. His explanation and plan were making Ash feel a multitude of things. Ash listened intently to the rest of Steven's plan. If all went well, he wouldn't have much to worry about. Steven was planning on flushing out the attackers and bringing them down himself. Ash was just here to help protect the other residents. Steven ran off, leaving Ash with only his DexNav and his thoughts.

******(*)******

Ash wasn't going to lie; he was very anxious. According to the DexNav, it had been thirty minutes since Steven had left. He was hearing quite a bit of noise and it had been going on for at least ten minutes. He could swear some of the shouts were commands for attacks, but Ash didn't know how none of them were destroying the building. It was driving him insane that he didn't know what was going on. He was sitting right inside his room, looking down the hallway. Ash knew that this was probably not the most effective method to keep watch, but he also couldn't be right out in the open.

Feeling Beldum headbutt his leg, he looked down at all three of his pokemon and smiled. Nidoran had been slightly upset when Ash let him and Beldum out, but once the situation was explained all of them had settled around Ash. They were all calm, but ready to enact at a moment's notice. Ash was grateful that all three of his pokemon had some sense or way to detect any possible dangers. Nidoran's sense of hearing, Pikachu's smell and hearing, and Beldum's psychic waves would all alert them if someone was approaching. Ash looked at his device once more, noting that five minutes had passed since he last checked the time. Ash tried to suppress a yawn that suddenly hit him, not wanting to let his body betray him. A good thing as well, as Pikachu and Nidoran both tensed, their ears twitching as they could hear something nearby.

Ash listened intently, slowly hearing voices and footsteps make their way closer. A small light was creeping into his peripheral vision, worrying him. He quickly and quietly hid in his closet, his pokemon following suit. Closing it to a crack, he listened intently and was slowly able to distinguish three separate voices.

"I'm glad we don't have to deal with the ex-champion. He would have decimated us Jessie," a male voice said.

"As much as I hate to admit it James, you're right. Better for the admins to distract him for us," the one Ash assumed to be Jesse responded.

"Meowth! Just remember the mission, and that I'm the top cat," the third voice chimed. Ash was confused; did the third individual have a Meowth with them? That would be the only logical solution he could think about. Putting that aside Ash continued to listen to their conversation as they continued to near his room.

"I don't even understand," the one named James began. "Why do we care about this girl we're trying to find?"

"Because she's a valuable resource you twit! She is the youngest of the Cerulean sisters and in line to become the permanent leader of the Cerulean gym. If we kidnap her, we can mold her into an agent for Team Rocket," Jesse said, causing Ash to seethe in anger. He didn't know who this Team Rocket thought they were, but he wouldn't let them kidnap an innocent girl. He had to wait though; he couldn't act without thinking in this situation.

They soon stood outside his room, and Ash closed the closet door as much as he could without making noise. Hearing the door to his room creak open, he could just make out the light filling the room through the cracks near the frame. He waited, holding his breath without even realizing it.

"This isn't her room, though it looks like someone was in here. We better stay alert," Jesse said, before the trio moved on. Ash waited just a bit, to ensure no more light was coming into his room. Once he thought the coast was clear, he quietly exited the closet, trying his hardest not to make any noise. His pokemon treaded lightly, but Ash put his hand up to tell them to stay back. Looking at Beldum, he motioned it to come forward.

"Alright buddy, since you can float, I need you to follow those three," Ash said, earning a shake from Beldum.

"Try to stay above their head, and if they notice you, or make a move to investigate another room, attack. Do anything to stall until Pikachu and Nidoran can back you up," Ash whispered, and Beldum once again nodded. It quickly exited the room, and Ash looked down to his other pokemon. He gave them a look that both seemed to understand, before listening at the edge of his room.

"What room is this girl in?" James asked, careful to whisper.

"Intel said room 130, so it's probably near the end of this hall," Jesse answered, glancing to see that they were just now passing room 118. She couldn't help but feel uneasy though. They hadn't encountered anyone thus far, but the room at the start of the hall was clearly in use. Someone was out and about, but she didn't know where or what they were doing.

"Youse two are always mucking things up. Stay focused and remember that I'm the top cat," the third voice said, annoying Jesse and James as it repeated it's catchphrase once more.

"Listen here you little hairball; I don't need you to tell me to focus. I promise one more word out of you and I will punt you across the hall," Jesse whispered, clearly exasperated and tired of the third entity. Ash was becoming even more confused by this third person. He wanted to look and check on Beldum but didn't want to dare risk being caught.

"Look, we're almost at the girl's room. Stay quiet and let's make our move," Jesse told her companions. Ash presumed that they had nodded and were advancing on the girl, so all he could do was wait. He crouched down and whispered to Nidoran and Pikachu to make sure and stun the three. The crooks needed to be taken in and he needed to wait for Steven.

"What's this pokemon?" Ash heard Jesse ask, and he knew they would be jumping into action. He gave Pikachu the okay sign and let him go out, reminding it to stay hidden and sneak attack the trio.

"It looks pretty rare. Maybe we should catch it," James said, his proposition intriguing the other two. After some arguing amongst the three, Ash could hear one of them sigh quite loudly.

"Fine, James continue on the mission. I'll capture this… thing," Jesse commanded, and Ash heard the sound of a pokemon being released. The hissing and rattling Ash heard could only mean that Jesse had an ekans. He wasn't worried, Beldum's steel body would protect it from Ekans' poison. The scuffle began and Jesse quickly realized that defeating Beldum would be harder than she thought. Ash smiled, now would be his chance.

"Beldum Zen Headbutt on Ekans, Pikachu Quick Attack to cut off James," Ash said, finally revealing himself. The three Team Rocket Members turned around in shock, meaning Ash was momentarily blinded by Jesse's flashlight. With this distraction, Ash's Pokemon followed his orders perfectly. Beldum bashed into Ekans, his head covered in a pink hue as the psychic energy gathered quickly. Pikachu was gone in a blur, a streak of white light the only indication of where he was going. Pikachu maneuvered around Jesse, running through James' legs, skidding to a halt in front of the man. He sparked his cheeks menacingly, daring the man to take a step forward.

"You two need to focus! It's just a kid," the third voice spoke, clearly disappointed in his companions. Ash looked and searched for the third person, but only saw Jesse, James, and Meowth.

"Why don't you help and get off your fat butt Meowth?" James asked, releasing a koffing. Ash grit his teeth at the sight of the Poison Gas Pokemon. An ekans or two he could handle. Koffing though, could obscure his sight or worse, explode. Their gasses were not only toxic but extremely volatile. Ash would have to proceed with caution.

He ended up ducking as Meowth cried out and lunged at him with his claws. Thankfully Nidoran acted quickly and tackled the cat away from Ash. It stood defensively, growling as its poison leaked from the various pins on its body.

"You'll pay for that, you stupid rodent," Meowth cried out, shocking Ash momentarily. Once again, the cat charged forward to attack, but Nidoran was ready and intercepted it, using its horn to make Meowth cautious and back away after his second failure. Ash finally snapped out of his shock when he heard his other pokemon begin to fight Team Rocket's pokemon. Frowning, Ash turned on the light on his PokeNav and tried to take in his surroundings. Pikachu could keep them from advancing but was trapped between Meowth and Jesse.

"Pikachu, careful not to breathe in Koffing's gasses. Use hit and run tactics with Quick Attack and your own judgement to attack! I trust you," Ash said. He then relayed similar information to Nidoran and turned his attention to Beldum.

"Beldum one more Zen Headbutt to finish Ekans," Ash said as he heard the clashing of Nidoran and Meowth behind him. He trusted Nidoran to protect him. Beldum charged forward, but Ekans was slippery, coiling around Beldum's body to avoid being hit. It bit down on the Iron Ball Pokemon, causing Beldum to groan in pain as the dark energy struck its body. Beldum slammed down into the floor, making Ekans cry out and slither off Beldum. Ash frowned as it looks like Ekans was stronger than he thought.

"So, it's a psychic/steel type," Jesse said, assessing the information she was getting from the battle.

She smiled sadistically, ordering Ekans to use poison sting… on Ash! Beldum quickly got in the way, the needles harmlessly bouncing off its body. It didn't expect Ekans to lunge right at it though, another Bite attack coming straight for it. Ash didn't want to, but he knew in a battle of power, Beldum would win.

"Alright, go Beldum! Meet Ekans head on with Iron Head," Ash said, crying out confidently to encourage his pokemon. Beldum charged forward, the front of its body giving a nice sheen as the metal hardened. Beldum grunted as Ekans bit down on it when their attacks met head on. Despite the pain, Beldum pushed past it and rammed Ekans' head straight into the ground. The snake pokemon was easily knocked out, causing Jesse to frown as she recalled it.

"James! Meowth! The mission is a bust, we have to retreat," Jesse ordered, as she began to run towards the end of the hall.

"Roger! Just you wait bunny ears, I'll show you I'm top cat next time!" Meowth exclaimed, running away quickly as it used the walls to move around Ash.

"Koffing Smokescreen," James ordered, as he ran behind him, Koffing quick to obey.

The black smoke quickly filled the hall, causing Ash to gag and cough before he had the sense to drop to floor. He gritted his teeth, looking on in despair as there was nothing he could do. The only thing that would help is Pikachu's electricity, but that might just blow them all up as well. His Pokemon surrounded him, and Ash wondered how he would clear the smoke away lest he suffocate under it.

"Not so fast! Staryu use Rapid Spin. Goldeen! Use Water Gun," someone shouted from the very end of the hall. No, not just somebody. Misty!

Ash gasped as the smoke began to clear and he could finally breathe safely again. He looked up just in time to see the two goons and their pokemon get blasted towards him by a powerful stream of water. He rolled to the side as Jesse, James, Meowth, and Koffing were blasted past him to the entrance of the hall.

"Need a hand?" Misty asked, as she ran up to Ash and helped him up. Ash thanked her, a smile on his face before he turned serious once more and looked at the criminals.

"My hair! You stupid brat! I don't care what the mission is, I'll kill you for what you did," Jesse growled as she flung her sopping wet hair back with a squelch. Ash was taken aback a moment as he put two and two together, but quickly refocused on the task at hand.

"Not so fast! I think my Pokemon and I have some unfinished business," Ash said. With that, Pikachu and Nidoran sent out Thundershock and Poison Sting respectively, hitting their former opponents as well. Unfortunately, Pikachu's Thundershock was so great that Koffing accidently released some gas and it immediately combusted. The explosion sent the two teens flying back, knocking them both out as they hit the wall and floor respectively. One could faintly hear screaming getting farther away from them as quickly as it began. The smoke cleared, and neither the two goons nor their pokemon were anywhere to be seen.

******(*)******

Ash and Misty both sighed as they walked out of the police station with Steven. They couldn't believe everything they had been through the previous night. To be honest, the experience had shaken them a little, and it was only thanks to Steven that they had kept it all together when being questioned by the police. Just thinking about it, how everyone was struggling to believe them, it made Ash frown.

******(*)******

"A talking Meowth huh? Look kid, we don't have time for jokes. Team Rocket attacked and we need detailed descriptions of the people you saw," the officer said, giving Ash a sour look.

******(*)******

Despite all of Ash's protesting and arguing, the police wouldn't believe him or Misty about the talking Meowth. Ash wanted to let it go, but what would be a better giveaway that Team Rocket was around than a Pokemon that could talk? If the police were to keep an eye out for something like that, then they would be able to find Team Rocket in no time. At least, that's what he thought. He looked at Misty next to him, then at Steven.

"You said they weren't after the pokemon?" Ash asked, hoping Steven would tell him what happened now that they had left the station. Steven stopped abruptly, looking ahead with a neutral expression. Ash couldn't gauge anything from the man, and that honestly worried him. Steven hadn't been the most expressive in the short time Ash had known the man, but he always gave off a welcoming aura.

"As much as I want to tell you what's going on, my association with the league bars me from doing so," Steven explained, moving forward again. Ash frowned, not satisfied with the answer.

"That's not fair! I helped fight them last night! You trusted me then, why don't you trust me now?" Ash asked, his voice rising somewhat.

"Besides, you let go of your position as Champion," Ash pointed out, not understanding why Steven's hands were tied. Steven kept walking, a small shake of his head the only response he would give. Ash grit his teeth. He demanded some answers! As he reached forward to stop Steven, he felt Misty stop him instead. Surprised, Ash turned to the girl. She locked eyes with him, holding his gaze so that hopefully he would understand, before shaking her head slowly. Now was not the time.

Reluctantly, Ash continued to walk as the trio headed to the Pokemon Center. Well, what was left of it anyway.

******(*)******

Giovanni sat in his chair, hidden partly in the shadows. He stroked Persian's head, eliciting a deep purr from the pokemon. Any second now, Petrel and Proton would walk through his door, and for their sake they had better bring him good news. The man waited, becoming a little annoyed that the two admins were making him wait so long. As the seconds went by, Giovanni's patience was thinning. Petrel though, walked in just before Giovanni would blow up.

"You better have a good reason for making me wait," Giovanni said, the underlying threat obvious to the two men.

"Apologies sir, but we were waking up the three grunts that went on the mission with Proton and I. They were apparently caught in the explosion that destroyed the center," Petrel explained, bowing in respect as he did so. Giovanni told him to rise, demanding he be given the report of their mission quickly, before his patience wore out.

"While the grunts failed with the task they were assigned, Proton and I managed to obtain the data that had been transferred from the Pokemon Center," Petrel said, hoping this would be adequate. Giovanni stayed silent, before leaning forward to meet Petrel's eyes. He motioned for Petrel to continue his report.

"According to the records we received, a trainer that had been at the center recorded a sighting of Ho-Oh on his Pokedex. Cross-referencing other information such as calls and video footage, we learned that two calls were made to Pallet Town, both by new trainers that have just begun their journey," Petrel relayed, pausing to breath.

"The calls were done by Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak, and although we do not know which trainer recorded the sighting, we suspect it to be Ketchum," Petrel said, prompting an eyebrow raise from Giovanni. "According to the grunts, they fought against a trainer matching Ketchum's description, and he apparently had a rare and powerful pokemon."

Giovanni sat back, scratching Persian's head once more, much to the delight of the pokemon. He closed his eyes as he processed everything he had just been told. Petrel stood silent and still hoping that all had been to Giovanni's satisfaction. After another minute Giovanni slowly opened his eyes, a small predatory smile on his face.

"Have the three grunts that faced Ketchum tail him and tell them to only gather information. If he truly does have the record of Ho-Oh, then he might prove useful in finding it. Dr. Fuij is close to perfecting the clone of Mew, so we should give him another project. As for Oak, have Butch and Cassidy follow him. He must still be close to Viridian, probably in the forest," Giovanni relayed. With a quick salute, Petrel rushed out to execute the orders. Giovanni's smile grew wider, as he continued to think about the implications of what they had discovered. Pushing a button on his chair, a door opened behind him. He had a call to make, but he also knew that the league would be hounding at him sooner or later. Even so, their annoyance would not deter the good news he had just received.

******(*)******

Looking around, it was a marvel that the front half of the Pokemon Center had been mostly unaffected. Although most of the living quarters had been destroyed, the main lobby and medical were still very intact. Looking at Steven, Ash assumed that the man's Metagross had made sure of it. It could use its psychic powers to prevent any damage to the area it was in. If only Ash had been as wise.

"It's not your fault," Steven said, making Ash look up in surprise. Steven smiled softly, but not long after his expression turned serious and he asked both Ash and Misty to look at him and to not talk.

"After much thought, I will divulge some details about what happened last night. You two must understand that these people are dangerous. They are criminals and the more you know, the more of a target you may be to them. Do you understand?" Steven asked, staring Ash down to ensure he understood the severity of the situation. Ash, though, was undeterred, and confidently relayed that he understood. Turning to Misty, Steven was surprised her gaze was hard as she agreed. Giving a slight nod, Steven released Metagross, asking the Pokemon to create a small barrier around them.

"Very well, know what I tell you I say in full confidence. Do not make me regret it," Steven said, earning a quick nod from both teens.

"The two Admins I fought were clearly heading the mission. The grunts that you two had fought were the ones who shut off power for most of the center," Steven began to explain. "The admins meanwhile were in a small room connected to Nurse Joy's office that contained data for the whole center. She had been busy attending to the pokemon and trying to get the backup generators going before we realized what they were doing. "

"We don't know why they wanted data from this center, but they took everything. Call records, video surveillance, even data that had been transferred in and out of the center such as Pokedex updates," Steven said, looking down as he once again thought about last night's events.

"Even though I am no longer Champion of Hoenn, I am still contracted with the Pokemon League as an elite field trainer. This means I can travel as I please, but should I receive any orders from the League I must carry them out," Steven explained, pausing to let Ash and Misty process all the information. After a moment, Steven explained the only reason he was telling them this is because Ash was right. They deserved to know something since they had helped last night. The two teens thanked Steven for his trust, promising that they would keep the information a secret. Steven thanked them in return, and thanked Metagross before returning it to its ball.

"Now then, what are you two planning to do from here on out?" Steven asked, his soft smile returning as he sat up and relaxed a bit. While Misty wasn't sure, Ash knew exactly what he wanted to do.

"I got to get a move on soon. Although I could challenge the Viridian gym, I've heard the gym leader is rather ruthless and doesn't face anyone without six badges. Therefore, the first gym I conquer will be the one in Pewter!" Ash explained, his excitement clear as day. Steven smiled, nodding in approval and reminding Ash of the challenge he had issued.

"Of course I remember! Just wait Steven, I'll win the whole Indigo Tournament and I'll show you just how far my team has come" Ash proclaimed, pumping his fist in determination. The two continued to talk as Steven explained that the quickest way to Pewter would be through the Viridian Forest. Ash pulled out his DexNav, and the pair quickly immersed themselves in planning for Ash's trip.

******(*)******

Misty stared at the two, feeling rather awkward now. She looked away, losing herself in her own thoughts as she went over the information that Steven had told them. The admins had been after data, which meant that Jesse and James had probably been sent on a side mission. Probably only so they would be out of the way. While that made her feel somewhat relieved, it also irked her. They said she would inherit the Cerulean Gym. While not inaccurate, she just, she didn't like the sound of it. Her mother had been a great gym leader. She was known as one of the top water pokemon trainers. How could she measure up? How could she even come close to being as great?

Her sisters were currently running the gym, and although they weren't terrible trainers, they weren't good leaders. They just didn't care. They didn't want to teach others or take care of the gym. It was all up to her, but she couldn't even command any of the gym pokemon. The only two that listened were her Staryu and Goldeen.

Misty shuddered at the memory of Gyarados rampaging when she had called on it. When Misty had failed to control that beast, Misty had left. She loved water-type pokemon, but until she could honestly call herself a water-type trainer, she wasn't going back to the gym. Question is, how would she do that? What would make her a good water-type trainer? Go around and catch a bunch of water types? Her journey so far had lacked direction. Of course, Ash seemed to have his whole journey planned. It made Misty rather envious.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Misty heard, and she was brought back to reality by Steven's question. Blinking a few times, she gathered her thoughts and explained everything to her two companions. Steven stayed silent, really wanting to give her a well-thought-out answer.

"I think going on a journey is a good idea, but you need to have a goal in mind. Something you and your pokemon can work for. Is there anything you can think of that will accomplish this?" Steven asked. After a minute or two, Misty sighed as she shook her head.

"Come on Misty that's easy! Enter the Indigo League challenge," Ash stated, pointing to the poster across the room.

Misty was shocked to say the least. Being that she wanted to prove she could be a gym leader Misty didn't think she could challenge the organization she was trying to be a part of. Could she even do it? There had to be some rule against it.

"Since you're not officially the Cerulean Gym Leader, there's nothing that prevents you from challenging the league yourself. There might be some rule stating you can't challenge the Cerulean Gym, but that should be easy enough to overcome," Steven explained, as if reading Misty's mind. She nodded in understanding, staring at the poster across the room from them. After a moment, she smiled and got up from the table.

"You guys are right. I need a goal and what better way to prove my prowess as a trainer than by beating the challenge I'm working to be a part of. All I got to do is register, and I can do that here," Misty said as she walked up to the front desk.

Ash could've sworn he saw small waves in Misty's eyes as her determination set in. Watching his friend talk to Nurse Joy, he thought about his own journey that he was taking. He too would be competing in the challenge, and his first step would be to defeat the Pewter City Gym. Looking at Steven, Ash smiled confidently. He would not let the man down, and he would face the man at the end of this season.

"Did you ever register yesterday Ash?" Steven asked, as he thought about yesterday's events. Ash cringed in embarrassment as he realized he had forgotten to register with all that had happened. After a moment Ash got up, a confident smile on his face. He walked to the counter to join Misty, and the two began to take the first step on their new journey.

******(*)******

**Well that was a lot. Like I said, this was supposed to be at the end of the last chapter, but I just didn't want it to run on. Sorry for this shorter chapter but next one should be good. I'm starting to get more of an idea of where I want to story to go, though I hope I can flesh it out correctly.**

**When I originally wrote this when I was but a naïve teen, I was too focused on the fact that I wanted Cynthia to be paired with Ash, and I had a similar problem at the start of this fic. I've seen some good young Cynthia and Ash stories, but I don't think I can write that with this story. It has to be a bit more natural for me. So I'll figure out the pairing eventually, if it ever gets it. I'm going to honestly try and just focus on the direction I want to go with this, and thankfully the current season of the anime is thinking the in the same direction I am.**

**Anyway, please read and review. I really do want to know what y'all think so far, and hopefully I'll post chapter 4 soon. Chapter 5 is also in progress so we'll see what happens. Take care everyone!**


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